"We celebrate Eve's act and honor her wisdom and courage"
Note: This is a response to some of the men who have continued to tell me that Eve was not wise in her choice in Eden, that in fact, there was another way that God's purposes could have been fulfilled. I have read many, many talks by General Authorities, and the proof is out there, if only they choose to read it.
I do not have the time to post it all, but I offer here an excerpt from a talk by Dallin H. Oaks in which he states, "Joseph Smith taught that it was not a "sin," because God had decreed it," and "Brigham Young declared, 'We should never blame Mother Eve, not the least'," and "Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: 'I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin … for it was something that Adam and Eve had to do!'," and "Some Christians condemn Eve for her act, concluding that she and her daughters are somehow flawed by it. Not the Latter-day Saints! Informed by revelation, we celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall."
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From "The Great Plan of Happiness" by Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Nov. 1993.
To the first man and woman on earth, the Lord said, "Be fruitful, and multiply" (Moses 2:28; see also Gen. 1:28; Abr. 4:28). This commandment was first in sequence and first in importance. It was essential that God’s spirit children have mortal birth and an opportunity to progress toward eternal life. Consequently, all things related to procreation are prime targets for the adversary’s efforts to thwart the plan of God.
When Adam and Eve received the first commandment, they were in a transitional state, no longer in the spirit world but with physical bodies not yet subject to death and not yet capable of procreation. They could not fulfill the Father’s first commandment without transgressing the barrier between the bliss of the Garden of Eden and the terrible trials and wonderful opportunities of mortal life.
For reasons that have not been revealed, this transition, or "fall," could not happen without a transgression—an exercise of moral agency amounting to a willful breaking of a law (see Moses 6:59). This would be a planned offense, a formality to serve an eternal purpose. The Prophet Lehi explained that "if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen" (2 Ne. 2:22), but would have remained in the same state in which he was created.
"And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin" (2 Ne. 2:23).
But the Fall was planned, Lehi concludes, because "all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things" (2 Ne. 2:24).
It was Eve who first transgressed the limits of Eden in order to initiate the conditions of mortality. Her act, whatever its nature, was formally a transgression but eternally a glorious necessity to open the doorway toward eternal life. Adam showed his wisdom by doing the same. And thus Eve and "Adam fell that men might be" (2 Ne. 2:25).
Some Christians condemn Eve for her act, concluding that she and her daughters are somehow flawed by it. Not the Latter-day Saints! Informed by revelation, we celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall (see Bruce R. McConkie, "Eve and the Fall," Woman, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979, pp. 67–68). Joseph Smith taught that it was not a "sin," because God had decreed it (see The Words of Joseph Smith, ed. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1980, p. 63). Brigham Young declared, "We should never blame Mother Eve, not the least" (in Journal of Discourses, 13:145). Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: "I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin … for it was something that Adam and Eve had to do!" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56, 1:114–15).
This suggested contrast between a sin and a transgression reminds us of the careful wording in the second article of faith: "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression" (emphasis added). It also echoes a familiar distinction in the law. Some acts, like murder, are crimes because they are inherently wrong. Other acts, like operating without a license, are crimes only because they are legally prohibited. Under these distinctions, the act that produced the Fall was not a sin—inherently wrong—but a transgression—wrong because it was formally prohibited. These words are not always used to denote something different, but this distinction seems meaningful in the circumstances of the Fall.
Modern revelation shows that our first parents understood the necessity of the Fall. Adam declared, "Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God" (Moses 5:10).
Note the different perspective and the special wisdom of Eve, who focused on the purpose and effect of the great plan of happiness: "Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient" (Moses 5:11). In his vision of the redemption of the dead, President Joseph F. Smith saw "the great and mighty ones" assembled to meet the Son of God, and among them was "our glorious Mother Eve" (D&C 138:38–39).
Full text here.
I do not have the time to post it all, but I offer here an excerpt from a talk by Dallin H. Oaks in which he states, "Joseph Smith taught that it was not a "sin," because God had decreed it," and "Brigham Young declared, 'We should never blame Mother Eve, not the least'," and "Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: 'I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin … for it was something that Adam and Eve had to do!'," and "Some Christians condemn Eve for her act, concluding that she and her daughters are somehow flawed by it. Not the Latter-day Saints! Informed by revelation, we celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall."
---------------------
From "The Great Plan of Happiness" by Dallin H. Oaks, Ensign, Nov. 1993.
To the first man and woman on earth, the Lord said, "Be fruitful, and multiply" (Moses 2:28; see also Gen. 1:28; Abr. 4:28). This commandment was first in sequence and first in importance. It was essential that God’s spirit children have mortal birth and an opportunity to progress toward eternal life. Consequently, all things related to procreation are prime targets for the adversary’s efforts to thwart the plan of God.
When Adam and Eve received the first commandment, they were in a transitional state, no longer in the spirit world but with physical bodies not yet subject to death and not yet capable of procreation. They could not fulfill the Father’s first commandment without transgressing the barrier between the bliss of the Garden of Eden and the terrible trials and wonderful opportunities of mortal life.
For reasons that have not been revealed, this transition, or "fall," could not happen without a transgression—an exercise of moral agency amounting to a willful breaking of a law (see Moses 6:59). This would be a planned offense, a formality to serve an eternal purpose. The Prophet Lehi explained that "if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen" (2 Ne. 2:22), but would have remained in the same state in which he was created.
"And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin" (2 Ne. 2:23).
But the Fall was planned, Lehi concludes, because "all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things" (2 Ne. 2:24).
It was Eve who first transgressed the limits of Eden in order to initiate the conditions of mortality. Her act, whatever its nature, was formally a transgression but eternally a glorious necessity to open the doorway toward eternal life. Adam showed his wisdom by doing the same. And thus Eve and "Adam fell that men might be" (2 Ne. 2:25).
Some Christians condemn Eve for her act, concluding that she and her daughters are somehow flawed by it. Not the Latter-day Saints! Informed by revelation, we celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall (see Bruce R. McConkie, "Eve and the Fall," Woman, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979, pp. 67–68). Joseph Smith taught that it was not a "sin," because God had decreed it (see The Words of Joseph Smith, ed. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1980, p. 63). Brigham Young declared, "We should never blame Mother Eve, not the least" (in Journal of Discourses, 13:145). Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: "I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin … for it was something that Adam and Eve had to do!" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56, 1:114–15).
This suggested contrast between a sin and a transgression reminds us of the careful wording in the second article of faith: "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression" (emphasis added). It also echoes a familiar distinction in the law. Some acts, like murder, are crimes because they are inherently wrong. Other acts, like operating without a license, are crimes only because they are legally prohibited. Under these distinctions, the act that produced the Fall was not a sin—inherently wrong—but a transgression—wrong because it was formally prohibited. These words are not always used to denote something different, but this distinction seems meaningful in the circumstances of the Fall.
Modern revelation shows that our first parents understood the necessity of the Fall. Adam declared, "Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God" (Moses 5:10).
Note the different perspective and the special wisdom of Eve, who focused on the purpose and effect of the great plan of happiness: "Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient" (Moses 5:11). In his vision of the redemption of the dead, President Joseph F. Smith saw "the great and mighty ones" assembled to meet the Son of God, and among them was "our glorious Mother Eve" (D&C 138:38–39).
Full text here.
posted by Peggy Snow Cahill at 4:25 PM
6 Comments:
I confess I've never understood where the misconceptions come from. Goodness knows, being Mom to potentially hundreds of children is labor enough without having to deal with a bum rap.
Maybe it's a need some folks have to cling to fallible teachings in order to flaunt our "peculiar" label, or even [shudder] to become somehow more "mainstream" in our thinking.
Whatever the case, I'm squarely on your side on this issue. Mother Eve deserves our deepest admiration and respect. Just like our own wives and mothers do.
Peggy, I appreciate what you post here. I like that you find and post relevant talks to the issues being discussed around the LDS blogs. Certainly there are a variety of viewpoints out there, and I think it is very important that yours is added to the mix. Thank you.
Thanks so much Woody and Amira, for the kind words of support. I really appreciate both of your blogs, and the sweet spirit there.
Amira, doesn't it seem that our voices should not be quite so cacophonous? Christ said "if you are not one, ye are not mine" so shouldn't we have more that we agree on? Why the need to try to criticize and "change" the Gospel, when we need to let the light of the Gospel change us, not us try to change the Church.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect, just as He is. And He is leading this Church, albeit through imperfect people. But one of the missions of the Church is the perfecting of the saints, and it seems to me that most of the people in the LDS blogosphere have it backwards. They want to sit and nitpick and criticize every perceived flaw (and even many of the great strengths) not only of the Church, but the Gospel itself.
The Church does not need to fall in line with the world's opinions, nor should we ever expect the Lord's chosen Prophet to "wisen up" and realize that the world has "greater truths" than the Gospel does. Yet how many of the posts out there propose just that?
I am very grateful for your kind words, and for your strength.
It's so easy to be critical of things we don't understand and that we aren't at peace with. There are many things said on LDS blogs that I don't agree with. There is a lot I do agree with. Sometimes it's simply the tone that bothers me. But I stay- and enjoy it- partly because it gives me new ideas and it helps me understand better what others are thinking.
I love the gospel and the Church. I don't have the problems with either that many do to. But I know there are people who struggle with certain issues, and I can't fault them for that. I agree that often discussions are critical, but I have read some things that have strengthened my testimony, even in the midst of the nitpicking. Julie's post, for example, on why she knows that God loves her as much as any man was beautiful, and I think it's worth hanging around here just for those moments.
I just wanted to make a comment that Adam and Eve's act is indeed a sin. Romans 5:12 " As by one man (Adam) SIN entered into the world, and death by SIN; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have SINNED" and Romans 5:19 "For as by one man's (Adam's) disobedience many were made SINNERS,..." James 4:17 "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth in not, to him it is SIN" For Joseph Smith to say it was not a sin, is the equivalent of calling God a liar. It contradicts the BIBLE. To claim that God intended the fall to happen is Blasphemy. God never intended the fall to happen. It was not necessary to have children and progress. The moment God said: be fruitful and increase in number, Adam and Eve were able to do just that.
I just wanted to add one more thing, The fall brought condemnation to ALL men. Romans 5:16 "...for the judgment was by one (Adam's sin)to CONDEMNATION.
To celebrate what Adam and Eve did is to celebrate rebellion against God. It is celebrating our condemnation.
We are all condemned to outer darkness because of the fall. We don't progress to eternal life, eternal life is a gift. Romans 6:23 "...but the gift of God is eternal life..."
To learn more about the truth, go to www.wels.net
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